Doll Masters
by CluelessFanGirl
Summary: In this world Tsuna's family isn't part of the mafia, but rather from a long line of doll makers. Reborn arrives and turns his world upside down when he reveals to Tsuna that he has the "flame of life", and he will be training to be a Doll Master. !AU!
1. The Beginning

_In this world Tsuna's family isn't part of the mafia, but rather from a long line of doll makers. They own a shop which Tsuna is supposed to take over when he's an adult, though Tsuna himself isn't too keen on doing such a thing because owning a doll shop is not very manly... Not that many people consider Tsuna very manly in the first place._

_Reborn arrives, and turns his world upside down when he reveals to Tsuna that he has the "flame of life". A flame that can turn dolls into humans for an extended amount of time. On top of that Tsuna has the rare sky flame that can bring any doll to life. Giving Tsuna no choice in the matter he says he will be training the boy to become a Doll Master, just like his legendary ancestor._

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><p>In the back of a room littered with doll making tools of all sorts sat a blond haired, amber-eyed man. He draped a long black cape over the shoulders of the doll he was working on. The doll it's self was about eighteen inches, dressed in a pinstriped suit, and has the same exact features as the man. Unruly golden blond hair, a round face with sharp amber eyes, and a small smile. Though the doll's face was with out the age lines that were in the corners of the man's eyes and mouth. The doll's skin was slightly pale, and untouched by freckles, and other blemishes.<p>

The man removed his hands from the doll and smiled, pleased with his work. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the doll's forehead, like a parent would do to their child before saying softly to the doll. "You will be the greatest little one, I am sorry."

A shadow cast over the man and doll from behind, but the man didn't seem to pay it any attention. Instead fitting a pair of gloves to the doll's hands.

"Giotto, have you quite finished?" A deep, smooth voice asked from behind the blond man.

Giotto, the blond, sighed and sat back though he didn't turn to look at his visitor, "I am. I trust you will see this child returns to my family, Arcobaleno?"

The man behind him nodded, "It will be done." He replied.

Extending a hand Giotto brushed the blond locks of the doll's bangs thoughtfully before his hand traced the curve of the doll's face, and his finger finally rested lightly on its nose. "And you will not tell me what will be done to this child of mine?" Giotto asked mildly.

The man sighed, and gave a patient reply of, "You said it yourself it will be the greatest of dolls. In the right hands he will become the greatest of companions."

Giotto sat there thinking a moment, before he finally stood. "Very well then."

Turning away from his worktable he picked up a dark wood box from a near by counter. A crest was engraved on the lid, and in the center the Roman numeral for 1. Underneath the crest was the word "Cielo". With the box in hand he returned to his worktable, and opened the box, the inside was lined with a dark red silk that seemed to be cushioned. Giotto picked up the doll and placed it into the box with the care one would give their most precious possession.

With the lid securely on the box Giotto picked it up and handed it to the man. "Take care of him." He said.

The man's mouth twitched up in a smirk as he took the box, "It will be done, Ieyasu Sawada."

Giotto watched with a frown as the man turned, and walked out of his workshop closing the door to the outside world behind him with a click. Once the man had left Giotto sunk back into his chair looking tired.

Another door opened, this one closer to Giotto's worktable. Amber eyes slid over in that direction as a little head poked into the room, and looked around curiously.

"Papa?" The little boy asked.

Giotto stood from his chair and beckoned the boy over, "What is it Yoshi?" He asked picking up the boy once he reached Giotto.

"Mama wanted me to tell you that Uncle G is here, and if you're done with that doll for today." The boy, Yoshi, replied as he looked around his father's workshop. "Papa, where did the doll go? I wanted to play with Papa's doll!" He complained.

Giotto laughed as he headed towards the door his son came in from. "Papa finished the doll, so the person who wanted him came and got him. Don't worry though Yoshi, he promised to bring the doll back some day. You can play with him then if you're a good boy."

Yoshi thought about that as Giotto walked into the main sitting room, and set him down so he could greet his friend. Finally he asked, "Papa, what did you name that doll?" He asked.

Both Giotto and G blinked at looked down at the little boy, "Giotto, his name is Giotto. Why do you ask son?" Giotto asked.

"Zh-Zhiii-" Yoshi scrunched up his face as he tried to pronounce the name. "I want a doll like him Papa. Please can you make me a doll like Zh-Zhiotto?"

Again the two friends exchanged a look, and then Giotto knelt down in front of his son, "I'm sorry Yoshi. Papa promised not to make any more dolls."

Yoshi frowned, and looked at the floor thoughtfully as Giotto and G braced them selves for a tearful fit. However then the boy looked back up at his father he wasn't crying, instead he said quite simply, "Then Papa will have to teach Yoshi how to make dolls just like Zhiotto."

True to his word the man returned the doll named Giotto back to Ieyasu Sawada's family. Though not back to Ieyasu himself, but to his adult son a few months after Ieyasu passed away. To this day the doll Giotto is still in the hands of the Sawada family. In the five generations of the family since the doll has been created he has been in the care of nine people, however it's the doll's tenth owner that is thought to be the one who will bring out the doll's full potential.

Even though that person is still just a child.

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><p><strong>Please review with your dying will! <strong>Flames will still be used for roasting marshmallows.

**Disclaimer :** _Cluelessfangirl does not own_ _characters, places, or anything from _Katekyo Hitman Reborn!__


	2. Through A Mother's Eyes

Nana stopped and blinked at her five year old son. Tsuna sat near the TV watching his favorite program, which really wasn't anything to be surprised about. What had made the mother stop in confusion was the doll that little Tsuna had sitting in his lap.

The doll usually stayed in a case that sat on the bookshelf in the living room. It was a lovely well-made doll of a man with golden blonde hair, and amber colored eyes dressed in a suit, and regal looking long black mantle as well as odd looking gloves that adorned it's hands. Nana remembered the doll was designed to look like one of her husband's ancestors, and it was older then anyone in this house though it's age didn't show because of how well it had been taken care of. Iemitsu never needed to tell Nana that the doll was special, she had just known it was from the first time she saw it.

Normally Nana would have taken the doll form her son, and scolded him gently for playing with such a family treasure, but for some reason she couldn't. For a boy who hadn't really showed much interest in dolls, Tsuna seemed really attached to this one all of a sudden… So instead the mother smiled at her son's back and said, "Tsu-kun, lunch is ready. "

Tsuna jumped, surprised by his mother, before she scrambled to his feet and came over to Nana with the doll in his arms. He looked like he was about to get in trouble as he held out the doll for his mother. "H-He fell Mamma…"

Nana blinked at her son again before she smiled at him and gave his head a pat, "Why don't you bring your friend with." She suggested to her son. Tsuna looked up at his mother with wide eyes.

"Mmhm!" He replied happily hugging the doll close to him again.

Tsuna was about seven when he went missing one day. Both Nana and Iemitsu had been worried beyond belief. However Iemitsu had insisted that Tsuna would be safe when they realized that their son had that blond haired doll with him.

The biggest surprise of the day for them came around dinnertime when a young man let himself into the house.

He had wild blond hair, and amber eyes that seemed to not only reflect everything he was thinking, but were able to see everything that you were thinking as well. He was wearing what looked like an expensive suit, and a long black mantle that was decorated ornately. Though his overall appearance looked like he had been in a fight or two before he came to the Sawada house.

Those amber eyes looked up at the two parents and he shifted what he was carrying revealing it to be a sleeping, but safe Tsuna. He passed the boy over to Nana with a murmured, "I am sorry it took so long to bring him back."

Nana stared at the young man speechless with confusion. He looked so familiar, and yet she couldn't tell why.

"Darling, you should let the police know that we have Tsuna back safe." Iemitsu said to his wife, his eyes never leaving the young man. He gestured for the young man to follow him, and with a nod the amber-eyed young man did.

By the time her husband returned two officers had arrived hoping to interview the young man who returned Tsuna. However the young man was no longer with Iemitsu, instead the man carried a doll that he set next to his sleeping son. He explained sheepishly that the young man had explained he wished to remain anonymous, and didn't even give his name before he left.

As he did so Nana stared at the doll that her sleeping son was now cuddling close to him. The blond haired, amber eyed doll that Tsuna had taken such a liking to. The doll that now wore a different suit then it had before, but the same mantle that the young man had been wearing.

Tsuna was almost nine when he stopped carrying the doll, Giotto, everywhere with him like it was a safety charm. It very well might have been one for him though, because usually when Tsuna got in trouble that blonde haired young man would come and save him when Nana couldn't. To the mother it was almost as if the doll was some sort of charm to call Tsuna's guardian angel.

Nana watched as he carried the doll over to the workbench and set him there gently. Both looked a little worse for the wear, making Nana think that Tsuna had gotten bullied again.

"Tsu-kun, is something wrong?" Nana asked with her usual light voice, and her usual smile as she looked up from the doll sized dress she was working on.

"Dolls are for girls… I don't need this any more." He said to her looking at the ground. The boy stood there for a moment, before he turned and ran out of the shop and up to his room.

Nana watched her son, the smile replaced with a frown once he was gone. Setting aside her current project she went over to Giotto and picked the doll up gently. Once again she usual smile was back, a mask this time, as she said. "Well let's get you fixed up. Tsu-kun will be back for you soon I'm sure."

At dinnertime Nana returned the doll to her son, who hesitated before he looked away stubbornly and repeated, "I don't need it."

Nana blinked, "Ara? Tsu-kun you've been playing with Giotto-kun for a long time now though." She said.

"Boys don't play with dolls…" Tsuna mumbled back.

"But Tsu-kun…" Nana trailed off as she looked at her son. He was shaking like he was trying hard not to cry, his little hands curled into fists at his sides so he couldn't take the doll he was trying to give up. She bit back a sigh and stopped holding out the doll to him. Carefully she cradled the family heirloom in one arm, smiling at Tsuna brightly like always as she said, "Mamma understands Tsu-kun. I'll put Giotto-kun back into his case. Giotto-kun will be lonely though, with out you to play with."

Since that day Tsuna didn't touch Giotto once that Nana knew of. Most of the time it sat in the case, only to come out when Nana felt the need to make sure nothing was falling off, or coming apart.

Not long after Nana finished breakfast, and Tsuna had long since dashed form the house to get to school on time, she blinked and looked at the calendar that was marked with a big red circle on that day's date. Looking closer she gasped seeing that it was written that they would be getting a guest that day. How could she have forgotten?

The person coming was a friend of her husband's, who had volunteered to come and be a home tutor for Tsuna when Iemitsu shared her worries about the boy with him. Since they had a spare room, and it really wouldn't be all that much more work to feed one more person Nana accepted the man's offer to help.

Though now that she was thinking about it Nana didn't remember if she had told Tsuna about his new tutor…

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><p><strong>AN ::** Hello everyone, and thank you for reading these first two chapters of my AU. I apologize for the sucky title it has, I've never been good with those. Anyways this little story of mine is an AU I've been working on for awhile now, a mash up of KHR, and pretty much every doll related anime/manga you can find. It's still very much a work in progress that has many, many kinks for me to work out, and a few holes for me to fill in still, but I've been wanting to post this up for awhile now, so I figured that I would do it bit by bit as I figure this world, and story out.

I don't think updates will be very quick, I've got a million little fragments of chapters, and scenes that I have to try and make sense of, and put together. However I'll try to update as quickly as I can!

**Please review with your dying will! **Flames will still be used for roasting marshmallows.

**Disclaimer :** _Cluelessfangirl does not own_ _characters, places, or anything from _Katekyo Hitman Reborn!__


	3. The Tuna, The Tutor, and The Doll

If there's one thing that's been a constant in Tsuna's long fourteen years of life it's that he's always been the runt who everyone picked on. He's physically weak, has awful school grades, always seems to mess up everything he does, and is just an over all easy target because he can't really fight back.

Even when he had that mysterious blond protector who looked like the doll that he carried for five years Tsuna was always being picked on. Really Tsuna never forgot that person, though as he grew older he forgot what he looked like for the most part. The person made bullies at least think twice before they actually picked on Tsuna. Though as soon as Tsuna stopped carrying Giotto around with him everywhere his protector stopped coming to his rescue.

After school Tsuna didn't go home, instead going to the Doll Shop owned by his parents, who inherited from his father's grandparents, and so on and so forth. Tsuna was always careful to enter through the back, not wanting to be seen by anyone in the store, or any classmates even if they already knew of his family business.

"Caiossu Dame-Tsuna." A man said from inside the back of the shop behind Tsuna. The brunette squealed and spun around thoroughly startled. When he did he found the man who spoke to him was standing a few feet away from him, though Tsuna had to tilt his head up to get a look at his smug expression.

"Who? Wha-? M-Moooommm!" Tsuna exclaimed his back pressed against the door.

Having been called Nana came into the back of the store with her normal bright smile. "Ah, Tsu-kun I see you've met Reborn-kun." She said happily while seeming oblivious to her son's terror.

"R-Reborn?" Tsuna questioned.

"He's one of Papa's friends. Reborn-kun heard Papa telling him about our worries for you, and Reborn offered to become your personal tutor. Wasn't that nice?" She asked. The chime saying that someone entered the shop went off and Nana blinked, "Ah, Tsu-kun could you take Reborn-kun home, and get him set up in the guest room? Mamma has to stay until closing time."

Tsuna nodded his head slowly, "A-Ah." He replied never taking his eyes off of the stranger.

Nana beamed at him, "Alright Tsu-kun, take care!" She chirped before walking into the front of their family store. Tsuna stared at the man for a few moments longer.

He was the living breathing definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Though the dark part came not from his skin color, but his suit, and what Tsuna could see of his hair. He towered over Tsuna in his dark expensive looking suit, and even though Tsuna had to look up at him the boy couldn't tell what Reborn was thinking partially due to the shadow cast on his face by his fedora. He was also wearing a strange pendant around his neck. When Tsuna really looked at the hat though he blinked, and his mouth popped open a little.

"I-Is that a…?" The boy asked staring at the small, and kind of cute, attachment to the classy fedora.

Reborn's eyes flicked to the side of his hat that Tsuna was staring at, and he smirked. "That's Leon."

"B-But that's a… a stuffed an-animal?" Tsuna asked obviously confused.

Reborn moved the boy away form the door and opened it to leave, "He's my partner. Aren't we leaving now?" He stated.

Tsuna shook his head and grabbed his bag back up off the floor, "R-Right, home."

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><p>Tsuna had been struggling through his homework up in his bedroom, having done like his mother asked and got Reborn settled, when he heard a voice from the door way.<p>

"Oi, Dame-Tsuna." Looking up a little he saw the fabric of Reborn's suit, looking up a little more Tsuna saw that the man was holding something he shouldn't have been in his hands. The boy lurched to his feet, yelping when he hit his knees on his little table, but he didn't let that stop him as he scrambled over to Reborn and snatched a family heirloom form the man's hands.

"What are you doing with this! He's supposed to stay in his case! Don't you know how old this is?" Tsuna cried offended as he held the doll of his father's ancestor carefully in his hands.

As Tuna tried to glare up at him Reborn rose a brow, raising a hand he flicked Tsuna in the forehead hard enough to make the boy stumble back. "I wasn't done talking Dame-Tsuna. From today on you are to carry that doll with you, everywhere."

Tsuna blinked taking a moment to process what he was just told. "E-Ehhh? No way! He's going back in his case!" The boy exclaimed.

What happened next Tsuna wouldn't quite be able to explain. As he scowled up at the man defiantly, holding the doll close so he wouldn't drop, and break, it, Tsuna saw Reborn smirk and raise his hand to the stuffed animal lizard on his hat. There was… some sort of yellow spark that the boy thought he saw go form the man's fingers into the stuffed animal.

Brown eyes grew wide when that little stuffed animal lizard blinked, and crawled onto Reborn's hand. Tsuna took a step back as the same lizard then changed shape, turning into a gun that was pointed straight at Tsuna's head. Hearing a click Tsuna ended up falling back on his butt having tried to scramble away form the crazy man with a gun.

"Listen up Dame-Tsuna, I'm not going to repeat myself." Reborn said coolly. "That doll you're holding is not made to sit in a case on a shelf gathering dust. He is a companion, Lord only knows why, but he is your companion. Out of all of his owners before you for some reason you're the only one he's responded to." The gun turned back to a lizard, and Reborn placed it on his hat. "I'm here to teach you how to use him. So the people who come to kill you, and take your companion, won't succeed."

Tsuna could only manage to stare at the man from his spot on the floor, clutching the blond doll close to him with out realizing it. He had no clue what Reborn was talking about, though the boy was having trouble getting his head wrapped around what just happened with that plush lizard, Leon, who was back to sitting innocently on Reborn's fedora like it never moved, or turned into a gun!

Reborn made a displeased noise before turning and walking away, though he called back over his shoulder, "We'll start with you taking that doll with everywhere you go."

Tsuna blinked, when Reborn said that. He looked down at the doll, and then back up at the man in his door way. "A-And if I-I d-don't?" Tsuna stuttered out.

Reborn stopped, and smirked back at Tsuna over his shoulder, "Leave him behind, and you'll see." He said darkly.

"Hieep!" Tsuna squeaked, scrambling back away from Reborn more as the man chuckled and left the brunette alone in his room with the doll closing the door behind him.

Even with his new tutor gone form his room Tsuna sat where he was on the floor shaking, "S-Scary…"

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><p>Tsuna was quick to learn that Reborn meant almost every threat he issued. Tsuna also learned that, for a stuffed animal, Leon really hurt when Reborn used his "magic" to change the lizard's shape. The boy was quickly shown the error of his ways when he tried to actually defy Reborn's order that he take Giotto everywhere with him, and everywhere included school.<p>

Reborn quickly worked his way up Tsuna's list of terrifying people until he was dead even with Hibari Kyouya. Really this was a no win situation for Tsuna. He either got bitten to death by Hibari, and teased by his classmates for having the doll, or he got shot at by Reborn, or was forced to endure what ever other insane punishment the man came up with.

Eventually Tsuna's protests turned to half hearted complaints, and Tsuna just let his mother, who just seemed happy that Tsuna was "playing with Giotto-kun again.", happily tuck Giotto safely away into his school bag. At school Tsuna tried to hide the doll in his bag, which worked to varying degrees. Tsuna stopped carrying Giotto around when he was nine because he got teased, and bullied. He couldn't imagine the extra bullying he'd get for being seen carrying a doll when he was fourteen! It helped though that most people didn't want anything to do with Dame-Tsuna. Though the bullies seemed to come back out in force when the fact that Tsuna was actually carrying a doll with him became widely known.

About three weeks after Reborn arrived, and made Tsuna start carrying Giotto with him again Tsuna stopped at the back door to his family's shop, in his arms he juggled Giotto, his school bag, and his keys. Tsuna looked exhausted, and a little like he had been beaten up at some point. Despite his best effort the doll slipped out of his arms and fell to the ground with a soft thud.

Tsuna stopped trying to get into the shop, and stared at the doll lying on the ground innocently. For a moment Tsuna wondered what would happen if he just left it there. After all the past few weeks had been like a personal hell for Tsuna since he was forced to carry the doll. If he just left the doll there then maybe a nice little girl would pick him up, and take him home. Or maybe a collector would find him, and clean him up, and put him in a case to be looked at and admired.

The doll shouldn't have to be hauled back, and forth to school by a teenaged boy that got ignored, and beat up on a regular basis. He was much too old, and important for that.

But if that was the case then he was also much too old and important to be left lying outside on the ground for anyone to take.

Sighing Tsuna knelt, and picked Giotto back up. "It's not like it's your fault either. You're as much of a victim of that crazy man as I am." He mumbled to the doll as he stood. Settling Giotto safely into the crook of his arm he fished for his keys, and opened the back door.

"Maybe if mom's not busy I'll have her look at you, incase you're broken from that. Your suit may have gotten torn by those Senpai anyways… I'm not good with that kind of stuff myself." He added absently as he walked into the back of the shop. Tsuna set his bag down on a chair, and carefully set Giotto down on a worktable before going to search for his mother in the shop.

Not once did he notice Reborn sitting quietly in the back room, smirking because he had heard everything Tsuna had said to the doll.

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><p><strong>AN ::** Wow guys, I'm not sure really what to say accept that I'm glad you guys like this so far. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, added this to their favorites, alerted, and added me to their C2. I hope you all keep enjoying this story as I add to it.

It was brought to my attention that at the end of the last chapter I forgot to add Tsuna's current age. I apologize for the confusion that caused, I'll be sure to pay attention closer to marking the ages of everyone, and time passage. It's something I'm fairly bad at, so if you're confused please just ask in a review or I may not notice.

As to what doll related anime/manga this is a cross with. It was actually mostly inspired by the manga Shounen Dolls. I've never actually seen Rozen Maiden, though I may change that some time in the near future.

Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It's my hope to also start Chrome's side of the story soon. It should prove to be pretty interesting if I can just nail down a few characters. Particularly Mukuro's...

Finally I hope you all can forgive me for the chapter title. ^^;; I really couldn't resist...

**Please review with your dying will! **Flames will still be used for roasting marshmallows.

**Disclaimer :** _Cluelessfangirl does not own_ _characters, places, or anything from _Katekyo Hitman Reborn!__


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